To buy the hobby box...or not

I've mentioned before that I'm getting super excited for Topps Heritage Baseball to be covering the early 60's designs.  I'll be especially excited to see it get to the '63 design.  And I've also mentioned that I want to put the set together.  I think it would be fun to put together the base and the chrome - maybe refractors - and the relics and autos (minus cuts if there are any).

Currently on blowoutcards the hobby boxes are pre-selling for $57.  Now you'll get the base cards and only one relic or auto.  But there are 500 base cards.  And there are 24 packs at 8 cards per pack.  Do the math...carry the one....and that equals 192 cards.  That's a long ways off to get to 500 cards.

The only reason I bring this up is because on ebay right now, you can pre-pay for the entire base set.  Now this is obviously a sale from a case buster looking to make back some of his money.  The cost for the 500 base cards?  $50.

Is it even in the rules to build a set without having busted a box?  Can you build a set without ever having opened a pack?

What should I do?  The frugal collector in me is telling me to buy the base and piece together the set as I'm doing with the Murad.  And buying relics and autos online is still fun.  But the kid in me knows that I'll also have a good time busting a box or two.

What say you sages of cardboard?  Buy the box...or save the cash and buy the base set already completed?

Game of the Year: Blazers Vs. Mavs 1/30/10

Mark it down on your calendar, this was the best game I've seen of the 09/10 season.  I watch A LOT of basketball.  In addition to the 82 Blazer games, I watch three or four additional games a week from around the league. 

And this was the best game I've seen this season.  My apologies to Big D, but this game kept your attention to the very end.  Leads ebbed and flowed back and forth and really despite good performances on both sides, neither side deserved to lose the game.

Andre Miller, who I didn't really like at the beginning of the year, tied Brandon Roy for second all time in Blazers' scoring for a single game with 52 points.  It was something to watch.  The guy couldn't miss.

And my boy Batum was used for defense.  He only had two points, but he played the fourth quarter and all of overtime.  And when Dirk got the call with the last shot for the tie, who's hand was in Dirk's face affecting the shot?  Batum.

The guy is money. 

I'm exhausted and I have no voice left.  And I'm already kind of pissed that ESPN SportsCenter will boil a great game down into a 45 second blurb tomorrow morning.  But I won't forget this game for a very long time.

The little kid got pwned

First off, this clip is from some high school game.  I have no idea where.

The dunk is spectacular.  But I can't take my eyes off little number 11 who tried to get back on defense.  Pwned.

And somebody put it on youtube for all the world to see. 

Dodged a bullet before the trade deadline

It's being reported on local media outlets here that earlier this week the Blazers were in talks with the Wizards for their big man Brendan Haywood.  And I applaud Portland for going after a commodity like Haywood.  He would've given the team a boost in the paint since LaMarcus doesn't really like to be in the paint. 

But I applaud the Blazers more for walking away from the deal.  The Wizards in return for their center wanted two players - Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum. 

And the Blazers obviously know which side their bread is buttered on.  And it gives me the peace of mind to know that they're not looking to trade away Batum anytime soon.

Murad Set Quest...Auto number 2

Well, I got a good deal for this card.  The ebay marketplace is sometimes an affordable option.  This card cost me about $6 plus the typical shipping and handling.


Ordinarily I would've tried to find a slightly cheaper card at the outset, but I chose this DJ White because the signature at least is a) an actual signature and b) is unique and kind of legible.

So this is the second auto out of 44 or 45 autos.  And by the looks of it, the autos won't be as affordable as the relics.  But I think it's still going to be something worth showing off in the end.

So who gets the license to the racist league?

So, I'm reading the paper yesterday and apparantly, I'm not making this up, there is a movement to try to open up an all-White basketball league. 

The conditions to be able to play in the league is that a) you must be a citizen of the US and b) you must be a product of two caucasion parents.  Really.

The guy making this league, named the All-American Basketball Alliance, is named Don Lewis.  And apparantly his premise is that white fans are tired of black "street-ball" and are ready to see a fundamental game once again.  But he swears he's not racist.

Remember that article I wrote about Tyler Hansborough?  There's that nutty group of folks out there who are really dying to have the next Larry Bird.  And not for the right reasons.  They don't want the next Larry Bird because of great talent.  They want they next Larry Bird because he will be opposite of Lebron, Carmelo and Dwyane.  This is that group.  But what idiocy.  Are you telling me that a Nowitzki or a Nash or a Gasol wouldn't be allowed to play because they're foreign?  It may as well be titled the American Socialist Basketball Aryan Fundamentalists....or something.

Obviously this thing isn't ever going to happen.  Lewis wants to start out with 12 teams.  He won't get one.  This is a legal nightmare - though I don't think Lewis cares.  This is obvisously a ploy.  For what God only knows.  But it just goes to show you that we're not "there" yet.

It's kind of a sad commentary on how far away from "there" we really are still.

Continuing the Murad set - 2 game used on the same day

I worked a trade with TJ for a Murad relic card he had of Dwight Howard and some base, minis and a checklist that I needed.

The card is a nice one.  I love swatches that aren't just plain white.  This set has a few that will end up being just normal white swatches, but this one was definetely worth the trade.

And secondly, I bought a relic of Carlos Boozer off of ebay for $1.25 plus shipping.  It was a great deal, I couldn't pass it up.

Now, it's a good thing this card didn't arrive yesterday.  I wouldn't have been as pleased with my purchase after the Jazz rocked my Blazers last night.  Especially Mr. Boozer who put a cheap shot on my boy Batum.  But, in the interest of building the set, I'll give this Boozer relic a home.

Four relics down, only 46 to go.  At least the relic list looks like it's pretty solid (as in no exclusions).  And if I can get more relics for what I got the Boozer for, I should be in good shape to being able to finish this thing this year.

Any and all help is welcome. 

Just a quick commentary on the Greg Oden 'incident'

Now in case you didn't know, Greg Oden has gotten himself into some hot water.  Although in a twist, he would've been served better by using a bit of cold shower.

So you can look it up on the Google monster, but I'll fill you in.  Pretty much Greg Oden had a girlfriend last year and he sent her naked pictures of himself.  Stupid stupid stupid.  And tah dah, they're on the internet.  Now I didn't google the images.  I don't roll like that.  But many media sources out there are saying they're real.

Do I think this will hurt his standing with the team?  No.  This is a far cry from the Jail Blazers antics.  I'm sure that a high profile guy like Oden can draw his share of beautiful women.  Women so enticing that it led him to do something like this.  It's not a crime, but it wasn't smart either.

My main worry is that this guy isn't a guy who handles criticism well.  Too much ribbing about it can give him a complex or something.  I would rather he spent his time rehabing instead of having to worry about this thing.  I just can't believe it had to happen to him.  Of all the people who could ill afford find themselves in a situation that puts them on the defensive; it's Greg Oden.

Thankfully we live in a smaller market that really is more focused on our one sports team than any one player.  But this is a bump in the road that could prove challenging for the big guy.

My take on it is this:  It's not like a Gilbert Arenas gun incident.  It's not a crime to be stupid and young and in love all at the same time.  It's a blessing in a sense that it did come at a time when he's out of the lineup so the media attention over the photos will have quieted by the time he returns.  I just hope he learns his lesson and isn't a repeat offender.

How will you be spending your tax return???

It's that time of the year again.  It's tax time.  Well, for people who make lots more money than I do it's tax time.  For most of us with average jobs and several children, it's refund time.  And as it goes every year, you have to resist the urge to splurge.

I understand that card collectors aren't the only people in the world with hobbies.  There is a whole slew of people who will get refunds this year that will go to buying golf gear, taking a vacation, buying TV's and funding an untold number of other hobbies.

In that sense, our hobby is more affordable than other options.  But it just never seems to happen that I can just go nuts and buy all the cards I can get my hands on.  No, I've got responsibilities.  And I can just imagine that after all of those real needs are met, there will be a fraction left of the refund for a hobby.  And my wife has hobbies and wants too.  So it's like getting half of that fraction in the end.  Getting older is boring.

It is a blessing however to be able to meet the needs we're faced with.  For example, fixing the Jeep, getting three kids to the dentist, getting to the eye doctor, paying bills and making a Costco run eats up a lot (ok nearly all) of the payday.  But aren't those things more important than cards anyway?  The 15 year old version of me is saying that it isn't, but the adult me is more than happy to pay for the real stuff.

But there will be just a bit left over.  And that's where the real decision is made.  Do you buy a hobby box or two?  Do you buy singles?  Do you start a vintage year collection you've been wanting to do for a couple of years?  So many decisions that it's almost too much to handle.  Because whatever you choose, you can really only choose to do it once a year.  So that makes it stressful.

As for me, I think that I'll be able to finish the base of the Murad (not the minis yet though), finish the Murad checklists (easy) and the relics.  The autos are a bit more spendy depending on the player, but I can pretty much knock out the relics without problem - they're suprisingly affordable.

And I do want to buy a box or so of 2010 Heritage baseball.  I think it's going to be a fun set to put together.  I hope.  There's always the possibility of Topps' shenanigans.  But we'll give it a whirl.

And yet at the same time, I don't know how much of my sports budget I want to put into cards.  Instead of buying cards, we could go to a Blazer game.  Or I could buy myself a Batum jersey.  Or I could get my girls some Blazers clothes (or Mariners for that matter).

Decisions decisions.  So what are you going to do with your returns?

Murad Box Break #2

Well, I just opened my second box of Murad.  Still in love with the product design, not so in love with Topps right at this moment.  I'll explain later in the article.

First, per my experience with Panini breaks, I bought my second box from a different seller to ensure that I'd have a better mix of cards - it's better than running the risk of buying from the first seller and possibly getting the second box from the same case.  And it seemed to work out pretty well, from a set building standpoint that is.  After busting two boxes, I'm short 62 base cards from completing the 230 card set.  That's not bad considering you get four cards a pack with 24 packs per box.  And between the two boxes, I only ended up with 24 duplicates. 

Now, right off the bat, I was letdown by not finding a cabinet card.  It just wasn't there.  The box was well sealed and I bought it through blowoutcards, so I'm not worried about tampering.  It was a Topps issue.  And since I don't videotape my box breaks of boxes with lots of packs and few hits, I have no proof to send to Topps to get a cabinet card replacement.  Unless I'm mistaken and they fall 1 per 2 boxes.  Either way, I'm not too worried about it.  The first box I did I pulled the Lebron cabinet card, so that's the most expensive one anyway.

Now, I didn't get another printing plate, nor did I get a silk or leather card.  But the break was still enjoyable.  For my game-used, I pulled this Larry Bird:

Now, the material itself has a bit of 'tugging' on it.  But it's not to the point where I'd call it defective.  I think it gives the card a bit of character.  Plus it's a Larry Bird relic, so what am I going to do?  Throw it away?  No, I'll keep it as is.

It's a beautiful looking card.  The card screams CELTIC.  Not that I'm a Celtics fan, but I like cards that correspond with the player.

The irony of this card is that I had a trade worked out with TJ for a Murad Larry Bird relic card just like this one to help build the set.  But, it's still fun to pull it.  And I pulled it before the trade went through the mail - so I didn't end up with two of the same relics.

Now, the auto.  First of all, the auto wasn't a redemption.  So that's a huge plus.  And the auto I pulled was a good one, I got a Rudy Gay.  But pulling the Rudy Gay has made this collection of the autos infinetely more frustrating.  First the card, then I'll explain the headache.

This auto looks good.  And even though it's a sticker, the autos are framed well behind the white holders they come in.  However, this auto is of Rudy Gay, like I said.

Here's the problem:  Rudy Gay isn't on the checklist. 

The back of the Hobby Box lists Rudy Gay as one of the Class C autos, but on the auto checklist online, and on the checklists that fall one per pack, the Rudy Gay auto isn't even mentioned.

So, I called Topps today.  And I told them about the Saer Sene swap from the Robin Lopez redemption (they didn't care - I'm stuck with it) and I asked them about the true auto list.  I got almost no help.  The guy helping me sounded like he could've cared less.  But from what I could gather, the Lopez brothers, Anthony Randolph, Mario Chalmers, Kosta Koufos and Michael Beasley are not in the auto list.  But evidently Rudy Gay is.  He couldn't tell me if there were any 'extra' autos included in the checklist.  So I'll have to collect what I know to be out there and continue to scan for autos that aren't on the checklist.

The closer I get to finishing this set, I'll call Topps again and try my luck with a better customer service agent.  But for the time being, I'm close enough on the base set to buy lots and trade for what I do need.  I still need a ton of minis.  If anyone has minis, let me know.  I've updated my needs list for anyone to see if they have what I need.

Also, I still recommend that if people are looking for a basketball set to try their luck with, this is still the set.  It's a fun time.  Really, the list of autos that did make it into the set is pretty large, and it looks like only five or six got the axe due to liscensing.  So it's not bad.  And after all, I won't cry if a Kosta Koufos auto isn't around to round out the collection.  That's what Saer Sene is for I guess.

So good to see Batum back again

Well, despite losing the game last night, the Blazers got a huge bump with the return of my favorite player, Nicolas Batum.

He played just under 11 minutes.  Went 3-5 from the field and ended up with six points.  Not bad.  I thought he could've played a bit more, but the Blazers went in their typical fashion and started to get conservative with the rotation while playing with the lead.

Batum was +8 in the +/- category.  Some people don't like the +/- stat, but I use it.  It does tell a story. 

The game last night was being won when the bench players were playing.  Not one Portland starter had a + rating in the +/- category.  And it showed.  The Blazers started out being down 12 or 14 points.  And then the bench would come in and establish a bit of a lead.  And then the starters would come in and let the Hornets right back into it.

Ahhhhh.  But that's neither here nor there.  I won't break down the entire game.  I'm just happy that Batum is back.  And as a present, TJ sent me a Batum auto that arrived in my mail yesterday just before the game.  It was a good day to be a Blazer fan.

Today could be the day.

The Blazers sit at 27-18 at the beginning of this day, Monday the 25th of January.  That's a total of 45 games.  45 lonely games that I've watched without my favorite player, Nicolas Batum, on the court.  But that could all change today.

Batum has been cleared for practices.  He's been cleared by two doctors to play.  Now he just needs the coach to sign off on the decision.  And coach McMillan may be hesitant to rush him back given how the season is going.

But we know.  He wants to play.  Coach wants him to play.  I would really like to watch the second half of the season with Batum playing - and dominating - on the defensive side of the ball.

Media outlets are reporting that today is the day.  Game time is 7PM Pacific Time.  I've got Tuesday off of work.  I'm ready to get into this game tonight.

It's time for some Batum.

The First Contest I've Ever Won

A fellow collector and new blogger, named Walker, had a subcriber contest on his youtube channel.  And lo and behold, I won.  Now, it's not some lame prize that I won.  No, this is actually making my day now that I have these cards in hand. 

So, what goodies have taken up residence in my collection?  Here's the rundown:

A nice mix here.  Three way jersey on the left, a double to the top, and a sweet on card Artest auto /25.  And it doesn't end there.

Right below that, a Blazer card from one Blazer fan to another.  I'm not sure how he parted ways with a card like this:

An 07/08 UD Ultimate quad jersey /99.  Really?  You really can't beat contest winnings like this.

But it's still not done. 

I put out a call for help amassing as many Bowman Batum RC's as possible.  And my man Walker hooked me up.

Another blue RC /499.  Obviously, the Batum stuff was extra, and I really appreciate it.  I'll be sure to return the favor to him if I come upon any Bayless cards.  So thanks again to Walker.  Check him out, it could be worth your time.

His blog: The Blazer Blog

His youtube: TBlazers50

Sunday Morning Pack Battle 1/24/2010

I've tentatively decided to rename my little Friday Night Smackdown bit to the Sunday Morning Pack Battle.

This is for two reasons.  1) It's more fun to do things with cards on Sunday mornings.  And 2) There is a high probability that somebody else has trademarked the term 'Friday Night Smackdown'.  I can't be sure.  But in this land of "free speech", I'll err on the side of caution and not coin somebody else's phrase for my collecting purposes.

So without further ado....

We're going to do a double pack Smack-off, errrr duel?  Yes, duel.  We're pitting together a double pack of 09/10 Topps Basketball and 09 Topps Updates and Highlights baseball.

The rules for this contest:  Today I'm feeling a bit froggy.  A bit of caution-to-the-wind today.  I'm just going to show you the best card from each pack and let the winner be determined by that one card representation.

So, baseball pack 1:

Best Card

I like these propaganda cards.  And Timmy Lincecum is a pretty good propaganda card to have.  Nice start to the baseball.

Basketball Pack 1:

Best Card

A chrome Corey Maggette.  The Chrome doesn't scan well, but it's a nice card.  And it's nice to get the Chrome since they didn't make a Topps Chrome this year.

Still, Edge goes to baseball....

Basketball Pack 2

Best Card

Seriously, click on this image and take in the glory that this card brings through it's photography.  Swift vs. Lopez.  Hair vs. Hair.  And early nominee for photo of the year.

Baseball Pack 2

Best Card

Yeah, the Griffey Jr. card comes through.  Must be a sign that the Mariners will be a good team this year.

Edge goes to baseball

Overall, baseball is the clear winner in this contest.  There was other base of course.  Some gold version parallels, but these cards were the best of the packs and baseball came out on top.  I'm still tempted by the awesome photos of Topps basketball.  But the baseball has the better inserts this go around.  That Griffey card is just a nice looking card. 

Another Bad Redemption Substitute

So, I've made a plan to make the Murad set.  I want the base, the minis, the autos and game used.  I went to Topps.com and printed off their checklist from their website.  Everything looks challenging enough, but also fun.

Now I'm not having fun.  Not at this moment.

My first box of Murad came with a redemption for a Robin Lopez auto.  Here's what I was looking at when I opened that pack.

Now I had no reason to doubt that this card would arrive.  It's even listed on the checklist as being an auto in the set.

So today I get the package from Topps.  I'm pretty stoked to see my first auto from Murad.  I figured it wouldn't take long, it's a year-old set.  But what I saw when I opened the pack defied all sense.

I didn't get a Robin Lopez Murad auto.

I didn't even get a Robin Lopez auto.

Nor did I get a different Murad auto.

The card I got was so inexplicable.  So devoid of similar value.  So nonsensical it's still blowing my mind.

I got the letter that says they couldn't fill my redemption.  And then enclosed in the letter was this clunker.

Saer Sene?  Sonics?  Are you kidding me?

Now, it's a Topps Finest auto, but this card, or rather this sig, carries no value.  When's the last time you heard Sene's name come up on SportsCenter?

Now fellow collectors, I pose this question.  Is there a Robin Lopez Murad auto?  How am I going to complete the set if the cards listed on the checklist don't really exist? 

I'll write Topps and let them know I want an accurate list.  I've still got another box of Murad coming this next week.  I'm not soured on the set.  I still love the set.  I'm just not real in love with Topps right now.

If anybody out there is a Sene fan - or knows said fan - write me and you can have the card I got.  No trades, no payment.  You could just probably have it.

Holy Topps Finest Blazers, Batman!

So Big D, of Hey That's Mine, contacted me a week or so ago to do a trade.  He said he had some Blazers stuff he could send my way.  So that's pretty much what I was expecting, some Blazers cards.  But I had no idea he'd throw the Topps Finest hammer down on me.  Here's a selection of the many great Topps Finest I got.

Let me say, Topps Finest was the best.  I loved the stuff.  I'm so thrilled I got these cards.  Thanks to Big D for sure.

And he helped me out with my Panini RC's I needed along with some of the inserts from the set.  So in all, I made out purdy good today.

Pistons may be for sale?

I was browsing NBA.com today and happened upon this article.  The article was saying that there are rumors flying that Pistons ownership wants to sell.  The Pistons are one of those teams that have a great fan base - and they're just a staple of the NBA.  If an average person had to list ten NBA teams they'd probably have the Pistons as one of them. 

To look at Detroit though, it's amazing how many sports are actually in that town.  You got the Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers and the Lions.  You have the four major sports represented in that town.  And if you watch any of the news about the economy, you know that Detroit is hurting.  I remember that for a time, there were houses in Detroit selling for 10K dollars.  That was in the foreclosure boom.  But still, ten grand for a house?

And it makes a person wonder how long those sports franchises can exist in a city that is collapsing upon itself.  Obviously, the Pistons faithful are hoping that somebody will take the team over and keep them in the city.  But is that really a good business move?  Who's going to want to invest in Detroit right now?  Especially when the competition for sports fans is so fierce.

I only wonder if they'll be the next team to be re-located.  Impossible you say?  That's what I thought about the Sonics.  The Sonics and Seattle just went hand in hand.  But when the money had to talk, Oklahoma City was screaming for a team.  So in that sense, the Pistons being 'locked in' to Detroit isn't a guarantee.

The NBA has so many teams right now that just aren't filling seats.  Atlanta's last game, for example, didn't break 10,000 tickets sold.  And that's a good team.  And when I watch the Blazers go on the road, it's just astounding how empty so many stadiums are nowdays. 

But just last year, Detroit was offering priority seating packages to Clevland fans in the playoffs just to fill seats.  And that was during the most exciting part of the season.  And they didn't come close to having a local fan sell-out.  Not even against Lebron and the Cavs.  So do I think that the Pistons want to sell?  Oh yeah.  The business model is broken.

Sports franchises need a strong middle class to fill the seats on a nightly basis.  That's the business model.  Have the team, the stadium, and able-to-pay fans.  Any of those three elements is disrupted, the whole thing falls down.  Until Detroit is fixed, they may end up seeing their teams playing elsewhere.

B. Roy out...again

I've not got a ton to say today.  I've got a headache that's out-dueled me all day.  It's been one of those days that the head's going to pound from sun up to sun down.

The good news is that my Blazers are playing in Philadelphia today, so the game came on at 4pm local instead of 7pm. 

Now the 76'ers aren't a really good team right now, but Brandon Roy, who's been out the last couple of games, tried to come out and play tonight.  And he re-injured his hammy.  From a fan perspective, I don't get it.  The next game on this roadtrip is in Boston.  I would've rather Roy rested another game against a team they had a good chance of beating without him.  Not guaranteed win - but the Blazers could've kept pace tonight without Roy.

Now who knows when he'll be back.  It's very questionable whether he'll play against Boston now - a game where the superstar is needed. 

OK.  That's all I could muster at this moment.  I'm going to go watch the game...quietly and without great movement.

Stackhouse to the Bucks. Really?

So Jerry Stackhouse is going to fill Michael Redd's hole in Milwaukie.  And in doing so, the Bucks have just assured that Tyreke Evans is going to win Rookie of the Year.

The reason being is that Brandon Jennings needs a teammate to take some pressure off of him.  He doesn't need an old man to counsel him.

Stackhouse started back in 95-96 with the 76'ers. And he bounced around for several years after that.  And last year he played in Dallas.  He played in a total of 10 games, starting only 1 of them.

So he played 10 games last year.  No games this year.  And the coach of the Bucks says that they're paying him to come in and play.  Are they for real?  To fill the whole in your lineup you need to work in trades for players in mid-season form.  You don't bring in a guy with no real game time for nearly two years.

Sorry to Jennings, your team is going to get worse as you try to absorb a guy like Stackhouse into the fold.  I doubt you'll make the playoffs, and ROY isn't looking very promising if you can't put up more wins. 

Of all the players out there who need to be traded, you take a guy off the sofa.  AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY THE EAST IS ALWAYS SO BAD.  Put me in charge of the Bucks, I'll find a guy who wants to play alongside B. Jennings and Bogut.  I'm only mad because I like to see a good, competetive league.  I'm not a Bucks fan in the least.  But if the East doesn't get better, the league suffers as a whole.  Just incredible.

What a depressing kind of day

First off, the Blazers lost.  It was a game they had in the bag.  But playing at 10am is too hard I guess.  Whatever.  You get paid millions.  10am is no excuse.  Another easy sub-par game they let slip away.

And it's gray outside.  You compound that onto eating a bit too much sausage for a pre-game breakfast, and it's just not as cheerful inside as it ought to be.

Then my wife and I took the kids for a walk.  And we happened upon a local flea market.  I thought I could have a chance at scoring some vintage cards.  They did have one guy selling vintage Star Wars stuff, but the rest was these really broke-down people selling VHS tapes four for a dollar.  I was astounded at how sad the whole place was.

So I decided to put together some mail for some folks.  Big D, from Hey That's Mine has really one of the more varied collection choices I've seen.  So I had to start to dig into my treasure chest to find a little something for him and his clan. 

Oh, and I really do have a treasure chest, it's kind of cool really.  It's more of a trunk.  But I store cards in it, so it's a treasure chest.

And that, searching around cards of years past, always puts me in a good mood.  And I found a card that I'd completely forgot I even had.  I found a guy who is probably perma-depressed.  Not only did his brother become the most famous man on the planet for one summer, he also cheated to get that fame.  And now people love him still.  They still cheer for him.  Sucks to be the brother time forgot. 

You know who's not getting many cheers?  Know who never got many cheers at all?

This guy.

Dan McGwire, you brightened my day. 

Sunday Night Observations

1)  Who saw the Jets coming?  It's kinda weird hearing Sanchez said so much on the TV (I'm a Sanchez also).  I kinda hope the Jets make it there.  It's always nice when an underdog makes it this far.

2)  By pure luck, I got tomorrow (Monday) off.  The Blazers play at 10am Pacific Time.  Ordinarily I'd miss a morning game.  So it appears that I'm on track to be able to watch every Blazers game live this year.  At this point, I could give on-air commentary for the Blazers and not miss a beat.

3)  In an odd twist of fate, the day my printing plate of D.J. Augustin sells, a printing plate of Nicolas Batum appears on ebay.  Murad calls, but a Nic Batum printing plate is staring me in the face.  Tough call.  And it's not a rookie printing plate, so it won't cost as much.  I guess we'll all see how my new funds are spent in a week or so.

4)  Non-sport related news:  I think I suffered a serious groin pull.  I'm really not enjoying moving right now.  Hopefully that situation is better by the time I have to go to work.  Why is it that these things always happen as I'm going into my weekend?

5)  Nuggets play Utah Jazz tonight.  I hate the Nuggets.  I hope they lose so that the Blazers can continue to close the gap for 1st in the Division.  It's on ESPN.  Watch it.  You might hear me yelling through my TV.

Such a short time together...

My first ever printing plate sold on ebay for 30$.  It was a short lived co-existence we shared.  I'll never forget my first. 

But alas, I must finish my set.  So, with these funds, I'll be posting the results of another Murad box break in the next week or so.

Farewell D.J. Augustin printing plate. 

Friday Night Smackdown 1/15/2010

It's Topps Heritage High Numbers 2009 Baseball vs. 09/10 Panini Prestige Basketball

1 pack each - no holds barred (so long as it doesn't bend the corners or scratch the surface)


So, I stopped by Target again.  Like I do every week.  To buy just all sorts of stuff that we can't live without.  And while browsing the card wall I had a hard time choosing two basketball packs with a pack of Heritage staring me in the face.  So I'll bent the rules and put one sport up against another.

Now for the Prestige...
I admit I have no idea who thought this design was prestigious.  It really isn't.  It's just got soft white edges over the photography.  Classy?  Maybe.  Not prestigious. 

Really, not that exciting.  But these are base cards.  There was also a Patrick Beverly RC.  And the redeeming card of the pack was this Baron Davis:

It's a Bonus Shots red insert /300.  But really, the only thing that sets it apart is the tiny red emblem in the corner.  Panini needs some work on it's parrallels.

For Heritage to lose this match, it would have to be a really bad pack.

But it wasn't horrible.  First off, I got three RC's.

Not a huge fan of any of those guys.  But 3 RC's will some day help somebody with their set.  And not pictured was a Fernando Nieve and Latroy Hawkins cards.  What made the pack for me was the Cliff Floyd card pictured below.

Those silly Padres.  I try to get away.  I don't buy baseball packs in forever.  And what do I see?  That Padres emblem staring me in the face.  No bother though.  My wife still says that we're a Mariners house.  But I might just stash this card away somewhere.  It might be a sign.

Winner?  Heritage.  Not even a close match.

Beware the Prestigious.  I had no idea that it was so...bland.  Too bad.  Now they can't use that name for a better product.

Is it baseball season yet....?

I know that this blog is titled the Basketball Card Blog.  I love me some basketball.

But man alive do I miss watching baseball.  I'm even re-watching the playoffs from last year on MLB network - which works because they always come on a few hours before the Blazers.  And they cut out all the time from pitching changes with editing (pretty smart).

I took the girls to the playground today.  And since we live in the Portland area, January for us isn't as bad as it is for other folks.  I don't know, it was 50 degrees outside, slight breeze, green grass...and I just was sooo ready for spring baseball.

I love spring and summer baseball.  Fall baseball starts to wear on me.  So as nostalgic as I feel right now for baseball is the exact opposite of how I'll feel come September.  It's right around September when I get tired of baseball and get geared up for some NBA action.

And I was digging through some old cards I had today when I came across this nifty Topps Heritage 2008 Advertising Panel:

And it made me think about what a honk I am for Heritage baseball.  I know some people hate it, but I like it.  And this is the first Advertising panel, cabinet card, whatever, that I had ever pulled.  And this year should be based on the 1961 cards.  And I really love the early 60's cards.  In fact I'm still toying with going after the 1963 set.  In fact, I just might.  There are some crazy expensive cards from that year.  But that's true of every vintage year.  So I can't complain too much about it if I decide to do it.

But in the meantime, I need to direct my focus and collect with a purpose, otherwise it just isn't any fun anymore. 

So I think what I'm going to do this year is try and round off the RC's I need for Panini.  And I'm going to work on completing the Murad set.  And in a departure, I'm going to collect the 2010 Heritage set.  I may open a new blog just for the 2010 Heritage set.

Barring any cut autos, I think it would be fun to do the base, maybe the chrome, and the autos and game used.

But right now I would love to be sitting at the ball park waiting for the first pitch.  Not to worry though.  The Blazers play again tomorrow and I'll forget all about this silly baseball business.

New Rookie Rankings - and a look ahead

No surprise, Tyreke is still dominating the polls for Rookie of the Year.  There was a shake-up though as Curry went from 5th to 2nd, edging out Jennings who dropped to 3rd.

I don't particularly feel that Curry is playing better than Jennings on the whole, but he's had a better stretch than Jennings over the last week or so.  Does that merit jumping three spots?  Maybe.  But I'm not ready to punch that ticket yet.

I still believe that it's a bit of a moot point though.  Tyreke should take this thing easily at this point barring any injuries.  He is the most physical player of the three mentioned, so anything is possible - though I don't wish it on him.  I can't believe I'm rooting for a Kings player.  I'll root for him until he torches the Blazers - then he'll be on my bad side.

What I really wanted to talk about this morning is really the new story that developing across basketball: the Calipari point-guard legacy.

Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans both played under Calipari as atypical point guards.  And now John Wall is grabbing national attention as perhaps being on the same level as those two superstar players.  Currently, Wall is averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and is shooting 50% from the field.  The kid is so well rounded that it's hard to believe that lightning could strike three times for coach Cal. 

Cal himself is a controversial figure.  But I think all of college athletics is corrupt.  So I don't really pay attention to the noise of the 'grown-ups' who make their living in college athletics.  The way things are shaping up, Wall will follow his predecessors and be a one-and-done player and move on to the NBA where he'll make more money than anybody associated with Kentucky basketball.

Derrick Rose won Rookie of the Year in 08/09.
Tyreke is on pace to win Rookie of the Year in 09/10.
Can we pencil in Wall as the odds on favorite for 10/11?  It's a distinct possibilty.

If you haven't found a player to collect or root for at this point, John Wall is just on the horizon.  If you could get in on the ground floor of that kid's offerings, you'll be well on your way to having a RC collection worthy of a boast or two.

Stock Watch: Blake Griffin is a BUY

Blake Griffin is a BUY, and really, it's because he's out for the season now with surgery.  His loss of the 09/10 season could be your gain.  His cards have been undervalued due to his attending Clippers games in a suit.  And being the number one pick of the draft, his offerings are more varied and offer more levels of initial investment than do some other rookies.

After Greg Oden and Blake Griffin, I doubt many more teams will be drafting big men with their top picks.  But that doesn't mean that these players won't be productive.  And it certaintly doesn't mean that they won't be the cornerstones that their franchises hope they will be.  They just need time.

Thanks to Tyreke Evans incredible year - along with Brandon Jennings proving that he too deserves as much attention - most of Blake's cards have gone into a tumble.  That's 'tumble', not 'freefall'.  Some of his better offerings will still cost you a bit, but when he finally gets on the floor those costs will just inflate once again.

Blake also has the distinction of being the rookie face of Panini.  He's done his fair share of cards - so the selection will be huge.  For myself, I'm content having his regular Panini offerings - I can't collect everybody.  But if you've not got a player to collect yet, this may be one of the bigger names in the years to come, and now is the best time to begin to accumulate what will one day be his more elusive offerings.

Need some reader advice

For the longest time, I've used ebay exclusively for tracking down my singles - especially the Nicolas Batum collection I'm making.  Other than browsing the occasional cardshop, that has been my sole source of cards.

But that presents a problem, especially to a collector like myself who doesn't have thousands of dollars a year to spend on cards.  All in all, I've probably purchased 70-80 cards off ebay over the years.  And just about every one of them came with the obligatory ding of 3.00 shipping.  Not that I competely disagree with that.  I'd rather pay the shipping and have it shipped properly.  But in shipping alone, I've probably paid well over 200 dollars for my cards.

And a reader, and fellow blogger, notified me that he saw a Batum card I might be looking for over at sportlots.com.  And so I went over there and registered, and right off the bat, the site opperates way differently than ebay does.  It kind of isn't as user friendly.  But I'm new to it.  So I found a card, a Batum refractor numbered to /499.  No picture was available, but I didn't mind too much.

And the only reason I didn't mind was because the card plus shipping only set me back $1.88.  Really?  Of course I bought it.  Now, I have no idea who I'm getting it from exactly.  The site was kind of not clear - but I'm not a seller on there.

I'm just looking for some feedback from the readers.  Have you all used this site?  Any problems I should know about?  And if you don't use it, what do you use instead of just ebay?

I'll let you all know how my transaction went when the package gets here.  I just can't believe I'm getting a card for my collection for less than 2 bucks.  I'm pretty excited about it.  But please leave a comment or shoot me an email as to what to expect.  And also other avenues of tracking down singles would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Product Review: 08/09 Topps Murad Basketball

This product is just a ton of fun to open - for a certain type of collector.  And I'm that type of collector.  It's an unabashed retro looking release.  In the world of HD and super-pixelation, it's a bit of a change of pace to see cards that aren't in step with that type of image.  The cards have an 'artsy' feel to them, on a good card stock.

And with no further ado, here's the what the base look like:

The only thing to indicate the rookie is the tiny lettering on the side of the RC's.  And I personally like that.  I don't need the ROOKIE symbol on all of my cards to know I'm holding a rookie card.  The Roy and Kobe cards are just really good looking cards.  And the backs of the cards feature the Allen and Ginter type of letter-written stats.  Copycat?  Probably, but it still works here.

The minis - also a retro fixture - are the exact same as the regular base.  But they're mini's. So we collect them.  Only we collect them at a slower pace because they fall one per pack.

Still, the art work, especially on the classic players, gives the base and the minis alike a real vintage feel without feeling like you've been roped in by a gimmick.  The base really is the charm of this set and makes it worth collecting.

The negative aspect of this set is the checklists.  If you've never opened a pack of Murad, let me explain.  In this hit-chaser world, all packs have the standard dummy card to throw off pack searchers.  The Murad solution to this was to make the dummy cards into action shots with with the checklist on the back.  The problem?  There's 30 or them.  And the checklist just keeps repeating itself over the 30 cards.  So just being numbered means they're part of the set - and therefore I have to collect them. 

Now, they only fall one per pack, so they're actually as rare as the minis.  I don't really like that idea.  Make checklists or make dummy cards.  But don't make me have to track down the third version of the same checklist just because it has a different action shot on the front.  Here's the example:

And it just keeps repeating on and on.  The problem is that they made the hobby box with 24 packs.  And there's 30 checklists.  Not cool.  Now I have to potentially track these bad boys down.  But that's really the only negative.  And it's not a major thing, but there are only six cards a pack, so chasing checklists isn't a real thrilling prospect.

Now for the hits.  The auto and game used check list for this product is actually quite strong.  You get one auto and one game used a box.  This will be one of the sets I complete this year, so I do have my work cut out for me to get this done this year.  I pulled a redemption of Robin Lopez (for the auto) and a Kevin Martin game used.  I'm actually not too dissapointed with the pulls.  Kevin Martin's jersey piece is that nice deep purple that the Kings wear.  I'm actually looking forward to completing the game used and auto sets.  They should look really sharp when completed.

But that's not the end of this box.  First off, the cabinet card, as you can see in the previous post was of Lebron James.  I'm sure that would be one of the spendier cabinet cards to have to buy.  But that's not the reason that this box will forever be endeared to my heart.

This box gave me my first ever pull of a 1/1 printing plate.  I've seen them pulled online, seen them offered on ebay, but have never come close to sniffing a printing plate in any of my boxes I've ever purchased.  In fact, I don't know if I've ever pack pulled anything lower that a /35 parrallel.

And my pull was a rookie printing plate.  Which is like an extra bonus.  Here it is:

And, even though it's special, I'm not a D.J. Augustin collector.  Nor am I a Bobcats collector.  And I'll need some extra funds to complete the auto set for this.  So I've decided to sell it.  I do feel a bit of remorse for having to sell my first ever, but I'd rather put that money to completing the set - or fortifying the Batum RC collection. 

All in all (and printing plate aside), I have to give this product an A.  I can't do the A+ because of the checklist shenanigans.  But it's a solid retro effort.  It's what Topps does well.  It's not pretending to be high-end or something it's not.  It's a solid release.  I got this box for 50$ shipped.  If, right now, I had to steer anybody to maybe buying their first box of basketball, I'd say this is your best bet for the money.

By The Numbers:

24 packs - 6 cards per pack

$50 dollars shipped (from ebay)

94 of 230 base - 40.8% complete

--7 SP's (from 201-230)

--2 Base variations (#171 D. Rose & #173 O.J. Mayo)

--No dupes

24 of 230 minis - 10.4% complete

--3 SP's (from 201-230)

--No dupes

Auto - Robin Lopez (redemption)

Relic - Kevin Martin

Printing Plate - D.J. Augustin

Murad is here...and it's a good start

Some people open their T-6 cabinet cards last.  Some people leave them sealed and sell them on ebay.  Me?  I can't wait to open the biggest pack in the box right off the bat.  And if you have to get a cabinet card, there isn't one much better to pull than this guy...

I can't forgive him for punishing the Blazers last night, but I can't deny that I still love pulling a giant card of King Lebron.

The Murad box break review coming tomorrow.

Dallas get back Najera

Now, I'm not a huge Mavs guy.  Actually, I'm quite the opposite.  Does anyone else wish that Dirk would just cut that hair already?  But that's beside the point.

No, the big news today has nothing to do with Dirk, but Eduardo Najera.  Najera has always been a fan favorite in Dallas, and I remember him more for his playing in the Big D than I remember anything about his little stint for the Nets.  And his job with the Nets is forgettable - but that's what everybody's time with the Nets is like.  So here's to a new start for Narjera, so long as he doesn't torch the Blazers at some 'coming out party' type of game people seem to have against Rip City lately.

So why would I even mention a trade like this?  Well, because he's only the second Mexican born player to play in the NBA.  That's kind of a huge deal.  They don't grow them so big south of the border.  And being Mexican-American myself, I sort of followed Najera's progress along the way.

Does anybody remember who the first Mexican born player was to play in the NBA?  Don't worry I didn't either.  Senor Horacio Llamas.  Played a bit for Phoenix I guess.

A tip of the sombrero to Najera...and Llamas I guess.

Was 06/07 Bowman Basketball the Worst RC ever?

I should say that 06/07 would be a top vote getter for worst RC design in the last decade.  I was rummaging through old card purchases, and pulled out the random card sets I'd started and stopped.  When I first bought this product, it was for Brandon Roy RC's.  I did pull a B Roy Chrome card, but the rest of the set is just horrible.

I DARE anybody to complete this set.  Boxes are pretty cheap.  And it's a Bowman release, which further boggles the mind.  It should just be better than this.

Let's start with a star from today - Rajon Rondo.

First of all, look at the triangle-leopard print.  Seriously, they made this his first RC.  Not only is the background hideous, but you can't see his jersey number or his team name.  You can barely see the Celtic clover on his shorts.  And his pose isn't even close to being the worst.

But in the case below, the Adam Morrison, it shows that certain rookies were photographed in front of a blue backdrop.  It's a huge improvement of the leopard print, but the pose is awful.

The team and jersey number is visible - that's a plus, though it should be a given.  But why is everybody holding two balls?  Does anybody ever play basketball with two balls?  Did they think we wouldn't get it if he posed naturally with just one ball?  And who told him to open his legs that far apart.  He doesn't look comfortable at all.  Still, it looks like a piece of fine art compared to the Rondo.

But the worst - and it's bad - is the pose seen below.

It's obvious that the photographer is telling them to do this.  It's a theme.  Put one ball in front of your crotch and the other ball directly between your cheeks.  In front of the leopard print.  Team name is visible on only the middle shot, barely.  The other two show no team name, but show just a piece of the jersey number.  Again, two balls.

If you can find a better, or worse in this case, series of rookie cards, I'd like to see it.

MUST WATCH, my brothers' music video

WARNING:  This post has nothing to do with basketball or cards, or any kind of sport.  So, sorry if you're thinking this is a cheapy post with a youtube clip to fill space (like kind of see the last post.....*cough*), you couldn't be more wrong.  My two younger brothers Jesse and Joe are in a band called Shake Down Valley.  Jesse plays drums, Joe's on bass and their friend Josh is the lead singer.

Even though it's not my kind of typical music, it's my baby brothers.  They filmed it in my home land of Montana on a frozen lake.  Give it a listen.






And we'll soon resume our regularly scheduled programming...

Big Chuck on SNL

Just a reminder, Charles Barkley is on SNL tonight.  It should be hilarious.  There aren't many people more beligerent than Big Chuck.  I'll have to DVR the show since I wake up early for work.  But Alicia Keys is the musical guest, so that's a plus.

I'm not a Charles fan, per se, but he's funny.  Here's a piece of advice he gave to Greg Oden - and he's actually right.





So there you go for what it's worth.  Tune in.  It could be a trainwreck.

Now that the Lakers game is over...

Well, after that Blazers took on the Lakers last night, there is no time to rest or celebrate.  It's time to get ready for the Blazers to face Cleveland.  Is this a basketball card post?  No, I'm using the Blazers and their upcoming game against the Cavs to try to give some retro love to my other favorite cards in the whole world; Star Wars CCG.  So what's my advice to the Blazers as they go up against Lebron and crew?  Here it is:

"There is no try."  Freaking Yoda had that stuff down pat.  Hey Blazers, what else did Yoda say before that quote?  "Do or do not, there is no try"  Just remember that Blazers.  The Force is strong with you.

Does anybody else miss the Star Wars CCG?  Decipher, now that's a license I wish would've stayed around.

It's Friday Night Smackdown

VS

So I went to Target for, well, just about everything a family needs.  And while there I do the obligatory check of the card isle and decided to buy two packs each of both 09/10 Topps and UD.  I've not had any inkling to build these sets as of yet, so I figured a "sample" would help to fortify my position on pursuing these last flagship offerings.

So here goes, may the best pack win!

Topps Pack 1:  Really great photography on everything, but the best of the pack is:

A cool action shot of JJ Hickson

A picture of my man Batum getting dunked on...

A nice Rudy Gay action shot getting some serious lift.

Upper Deck Pack 1:

All in all, each pack contains a Sophomore Sensations card.  I pulled Ryan Anderson.  Not so sensational.  And Paul Pierce and D Wade in nice photos.

Winner?  It's a push on first packs.

UD Pack 2:

This pack was much better.  The Williams Masterpiece card is really nice.  I didn't know they made the Masterpieces an insert set in to this.  So it was a nice surprise.  That would be an insert set I'd like to have.  Also got a RC of Austin Daye and a Sophomore of Darrell Arthur.

Topps Pack 2:

A great Lebron shot, and a nice photo of B Roy about to take Derron Williams to the hole.  Nice.

But......there's more in Topps pack 2

And Earl Clark RC (Chrome) numbered /999

A gold Ricky Rubio RC numbered to /2009.

The winner?  Topps, hands down.

I was seriously surprised by the Topps design.  It's way better than UD.  And it blows away the Panini I reviewed (even though I'm still going to finish the Panini set).  The action shots are game shots.  You can look at the players on the floor, who's where, what's going on.  It's great.  In some cases, you can even pinpoint the game the photo came from.  Nearly all the shots are panoramic and not only offer great action shots, but they offer context. 

I don't know how I'm going to do all of this.  I'm going to finish Panini, but I'm close, so no big deal.  I've got a box of Murad coming in, and now Topps is staring me in the face with a hell of a design. 

Not to mention I was secretly thinking about building the 2010 Topps Heritage Baseball set this year.  I know it's baseball, but it's so hard to resist.  I love Heritage and now it's going to be getting into the early 60's designs - which I love the most if I'm buying vintage.

No worries though.  First Murad (should be a report up Monday or Tuesday) and then I'll look into this seemingly underrated Topps flaghsip offering that is blowing my mind with just two packs.